


Color me blue

by lesbiansmurf



Category: Les Schtroumpfs | The Smurfs, Trolls (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fantasy, Romance, self discovery, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-10-19 13:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17602148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbiansmurf/pseuds/lesbiansmurf
Summary: When Smurfette is tasked with her first sole expedition, and Poppy wants to see the world — fate puts them together in a race to make it to Smurfy Grove with a protection spell — before anything else does.





	1. Chapter 1

“ _Pleease_ Papa!” Smurfette begged Papa Smurf as he unsuccessfully tried to regain proper focus on tending to the potion in front of him, “If I’ve done it before, why wouldn’t I be able to do it again?”  
  
Ever since the girls of Smurfy Grove had returned to their home in the forbidden forest, now in shambles after Gargamel’s ambush, it had become a priority that the grove needed to be further hidden from any unwelcome guests — most notably from the washed up wizard who had a map straight to and from the grove— if he found himself willing to return. Even if he was mostly incapable of following the map through the forbidden forest without taking a wrong turn or two, there was no room to take chances.  
  
As a result, Papa Smurf had been tirelessly working to perfect a protective barrier spell; whether he had free time or not wasn’t apart of the equation — just a grave complication.  
  
“Smurfette,” he replied sternly, exhaling to keep himself calm, “we’ve been over this, my dear. **_No_ ** Smurf is going out into that forest alone! The only reason I would entertain _anysmurf_ going into the forbidden forest right now would be to visit with, and take supplies to, Smurfy Grove — as a **group** .” Ending his answer, he released a handful of black peppercorns into his cauldron, and stirred them into the mixture.  
  
He looked up at Smurfette, who was seated on the other side of his work table, looking tense in every sense of the word. As if she was hiding, itching to let go of whatever it was she was holding back from saying.  
  
“When I can finally complete this barrier spell,” Papa said, looking down at the brew, “You can deliver it to Willow for me as soon as it’s ready—“  
  
“ _Ooooh_ Papa Smurf you _won’t_ regret it!” Smurfette jumped up from the chair, “I promise I’ll go straight to the Grove and come back. In fact, I’ll be back faster than you could even realize I’m gone—!”  
  
“ **Wait** .” he interrupted calmly, stopping Smurfette dead in her tracks. She sat right back down.  
  
“You may make the journey to the grove as soon as it’s ready — and Only... and I mean only, if you take **_Hefty_ ** with you.”  
  
Smurfette took a few beats of silence, stewing in the weight of his words.  
  
It was always, _Smurfette, I need you to get me (this ingredient). Take Vanity with you_ !  or, _Going to pick flowers? Make sure Clumsy tags along!_ while Hefty could be gone all day long before anyone would think to form a search party; almost any Smurf could.  
  
“ _Papa_ ,” She said, visibly frustrated, “Why... why do you **always** avoid sending me on expeditions?”  
  
Her father figure was abruptly still at the impact of her words for several moments before he quietly resumed his work, silently suggesting he didn’t have the time to give a proper answer.  
  
Well, he would just have to make some.  
  
“I mean it, Papa. I can hold up just the same as everysmurf else— why won’t you let me _show_ you? I can’t even go to pick _wildflowers_ without a **_chaperone_ ** most of the time! You know I’m no smurfling. What more do I have to do for you to see it?!”  
  
“Well, you _could_ pass me the bowl of crushed Angela on your right, if you don’t mind, my little smurf.” Papa cleverly replied.  
  
Smurfette sighed, and defeatedly slid the crushed herbs across the table.  
  
“Smurfette, come now, of course I know you’re just as capable as everyone else — I knew that from the very **_day_ ** I met you,” he said, “But... you still have lots to learn from the world, my dear. Everysmurf does — but that doesn’t mean we’re all making trips into the forbidden forest.”  
  
Unsatisfied, she quickly rose from her chair. “I got through the forest myself, _twice_ ,” she started, her voice seeming to raise a little more after each point she made, “Once **_Without_ ** a _real map_ on hand! Remember? when I took Bucky with me all the way to Gargamel’s Hovel from the Grove, and saved _everysmurf_ —!“  
  
“— **And we almost** **_lost_ ** **you in the process!** ”  
  
The almost desperate heartache in his voice cut straight through the young smurf like a shockwave.  
  
For several moments, there is nothing but tense silence, not counting the sound of the bubbling brew between them; all the father-daughter duo can do is look at one another. Papa’s once furrowed brows ease up, and Smurfette relaxes her grip in both hands that she had balled into trembling fists at her side. _She_ can see the grief still lingering in his sad eyes; it’s all too obvious that he’s been replaying it over and over again, picking apart every instance where he could have done something different. The weight of the feeling of having almost lost one of his own still dangerously lingers within him. _He_ knows that, especially now, she feels the need to prove something new everyday; constantly at war with the grim expectations set for her by her creator, and still in the fight to belong when she already does.  
  
“...You know, we’ve _all_ had our close calls, Papa,” Smurfette sweetly spoke up, “I think that’s just how it is for us. Even if being chased by Gargamel isn’t the smurfiest feeling in the world...doesn’t it make every day that we’re not doing that — even the bad ones— a little brighter, just because we get to see it through?” She beamed.  
  
A kind, familiar smile formed on her father’s face. “Maybe I should have named _you_ Poet Smurf,”  
  
“Hardly. Just apart of stopping to smurf the roses, right Papa Smurf?”  
  
The elder smurf nodded, and winked at her.    
  
“We’ll table this conversation for when I’m free of this pesky potion,” he said.  
  
Once he felt content enough, Papa went back to fussing over the cauldron in front of him.  
  
“Alright, next, the seed of a caraway plant,” he said to himself, “three cloves, and the buds of three bluebells; now all that’s left is something sweet,” he spoke aloud to himself, “I can’t afford for this to fail; if this batch doesn’t respond to the final ingredient like the others, it will take days to get more supplies to redo the recipe! If only Homnibus wasn’t away on business with the king,” Papa sighed, “He gave me the recipe decades ago, I’m sure he would know — I’m afraid time hasn’t been too kind to my personal journals,” He said, holding up the journal to the young smurf and gesturing towards the smeared ink on a great deal of the spell’s instructions.  
  
“May I see?” Smurfette asked. Papa handed the journal to her, where she carefully read what was still legible, even if just barely. She sat back down at the work table, lightly swinging her legs back and forth as she studied the page. With a quick sway, she accidentally bumped something under the table (which made everything shake — not the best way to Papa’s ‘good side’ right now) that she reached down to move.  
  
_Lightbulb_.  
  
“What about a Smurfberry?” She proposed, “I can’t read most of this, but, I can't think of anything sweeter than Greedy’s Smurfberry pie?”  
  
Papa didn’t even feel the need to ponder it. "Well, you make a _good_ point with that one my dear,” he laughed, “Brainy is outside guarding the door, I’ll have him fetch some Smurfberries from Greedy’s kitchen—“  
  
Smurfette lifted a small basket full of smurfberries from up off the floor before he could even finish. “I think we’re more than covered!” she exclaimed, “I just happend to go berry picking with everyone else before I stopped by.”  
  
Smiling in approval, her father beckoned her closer, and took the basket from her hands.  
  
“I believe just one will do — everything has to have a balance. You never want too much or too little of any of your ingredients, or it surely won’t perform properly when you use it later on,” he informed her, “If this doesn’t work, the whole potion will turn to goop, and we’ll have to start all over — so in other words, _keep your fingers crossed_ .”  
  
Papa dropped the single smurfberry into his potion and stirred. When it responded by turning the brew a shimmering red color instead of all collapsing in on itself, he did a little jig for joy, and embraced Smurfette tightly.  
  
“ **_Smurfy_ ** job my dear! This is just wonderful,” the wizard happily beamed, as he poured the contents into a test tube that he sealed with a cork. “Now we can really set things into motion in other areas, without having to worry about our security! Like working out the distance between our villages,” Papa excitedly chattered while putting a small bag with the potion and instructions together.  
  
“And with that out of the way, I _believe_ we had something to discuss?”  
  
   _________________________________________

  
As nightfall slowly cascaded over the Troll village, their happy go lucky queen had tucked herself away into her pod much earlier than usual in preparation for a fun filled night ahead with her pessimistic best friend. While Poppy sat in front of her vanity, humming sweetly to herself and carefully brushing her long hair after a full day of balancing antics with the snack pack and her royal duties, Branch was sprawled out on the floor, flipping through a book on the history of troll tunnel travel.  
  
“Aaand there!” Poppy exclaimed, stroking her hair one last time before setting her brush down on the desk. She spun around in her chair, wheeling herself over towards Branch, and stopped directly in front of him. He looked up from his book and couldn’t contain the slight giggle that escaped him after seeing the huge grin on Poppy’s face.  
  
“ _Ooo_ ! Whatcha got there Branch? Did you borrow some books from my Dad again?” The young queen asked excitedly, as she snuggled up on the floor next to him. Former Troll King, Poppy’s father, Peppy, was well known for his treasure trove of troll knowledge, and for how he kept it —well organized, well kept, and much loved. Throughout his reign, he always emphasized the importance of learning from their history, often reading to the children of the troll tree who were curious enough to ask. Though most of the library had been passed down for generations in the royal family, almost every ruler had kept a written log of at least one very specific issue that occurred in the village during their reign. Most before were of civil matters, or what action to take during drought or famine — but in Peppy’s case, having lead his people through being imprisoned and eaten by the Bergens, his logs and memoirs from during and after that time took up an entire book case, and then some.  
  
“Yea, actually! ‘Cant even count how many times I’ve read this one, though. I thought about expanding the bunker today, and it’s been a while since I’ve picked it up, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a little inspiration,” he shrugged.  
  
Poppy was about to say something else, but before she could, she suddenly noticed how mangled Branch’s hair was. It looked like he hadn’t even touched a brush in several days — or at least she hoped it hadn’t been any more than that. She zipped back over to her wardrobe, grabbed her brush, and ran back to sit on her bed.  
  
“Alright **Mister** , before we continue talking about anything, you’re gonna come up here and let me brush the _heck_ outta those knots!” She said, holding up her brush in a way that _almost_ seemed mildly threatening.  
  
Branch rolled his eyes.  
  
“Queen’s orders!”  
  
The unkept teal troll begrudgingly closed his book, and climbed up onto Poppy’s bed with his back towards her. She started to brush his hair, and picked out more leaves, twigs, and even tiny pebbles than she’s ever seen in a troll’s hair at once. A sad, sympathetic expression formed on her face, and, feeling that he may not want to be hugged at the moment, she patted the top of her friend’s head.  
  
“You’ve _gotta_ take better care of yourself, bud,” Poppy said tenderly, as she continued to brush his hair, “I know it can be hard sometimes, but...you deserve it, you know? I get that the anniversary is coming up. You always get so anxious when it does. But... if you’re gonna be a grumpy troll for awhile,” she pauses, and places her hand on his shoulder, “Be a grumpy troll who knows his worth. I love ya _too_ much to see you forget it sometimes.”  
  
“Besides,” she continued, “You can’t use your hair as well when it’s got all that stuff in it! You’ll need it for the apocalypse, or _whatever_ else is coming, right?” She giggled.  
  
Branch quietly exhaled, seeming to take in everything she had said, while not exactly breaking from his silence. When Poppy moved herself closer to tackle a knot that was too far from her reach, he quickly turned around and pulled her into a hug.  
  
“ _Thanks_ , Poppy.”  
  
Even just a hug from Branch said more than he could attempt to out loud at the moment, no matter how well spoken of a troll he was.  
  
“Just lookin’ out for my **favorite** grumpy old troll!” she said with a smile. Branch smirked, and shook his head at her silliness. He turned his back once more so Poppy could continue brushing.  
  
“Well, to be fair, I’m not the only one who’s been a little on edge today. I _saw_ how you looked at the press conference you held earlier today. I figured there was definitely more to why you called a last minute sleepover —just for me and you—than that you just missed me. Lay it on me,” He questioned.

“Can I not just desire to enjoy the company of my good friend Branch?” She said, poorly attempting to mask it.

“I almost feel offended that you think I don’t know you better than that, Poppy.”

The mildly discouraged troll princess threw her hands up, “You’ve got me there,” she said, “Guess nothing gets past you.” 

“Duh,” Branch replied, “But, no, for real. Is everything alright? You looked like you were totally off in space today. Or pained. Actually, I have my money on both.”

 Poppy sighed. “Look,” She began, “It’s not that I don’t enjoy being queen — it’s the best job in the world! But… lately, I’m not sure why, I’ve just been thinking about how big the world, or at the very least, the forest is — and how I haven’t seen any of it beyond the village and Bergentown!”

“So go see the world then. What’s stopping you?” Branch replied.

“Are you _KIDDING_ me? Other than when Chef found the village, I’ve never been gone for more than a few days!! And even that was before I actually became Queen… if I ever left the village for an amount of time that would actually mean something and did some exploring, everybody would go **nuts**! If I ever left for a bit, I would have to have a really good reason… and, well, as sucky as it is, that isn’t something I have right now.”

With sadness painted across his face, Branch simmered in his own thoughts for a moment.

“All in good time, Poppy.” He said reassuringly, “Sometimes life randomly throws us the best curveballs so we can finally have time to take what we want. I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity eventually. Just don’t let go of that drive to do it, okay? It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but, who knows! _Maybe_ it could be. Just keep your mind open, and don’t get down about it. Any time you get sad, the entire village feels like we’re going through a drought or something — you light the whole place up. Keep your chin up and just live in the now. Besides, everything I just told you were things _you_ told **me** when I was upset — don’t get _that_ down in the dumps, or _I_ might not even be able to get you out of that one.”

“I just think about _everything_ that’s out there that I haven’t seen, just because I’ve never really sought out to find it — you know? Like, what if there are other creatures out there that are **exactly** like us, but they just look different, and they think that they’re alone _too_ ?! Just imagine! A whole new culture to learn about, with tons of new friends to make?! That would be **_AMAZING_ **.” Poppy said, almost blowing her own mind.

“Okay, _now_ you’re starting to sound like me,” Branch pointed out. They both laughed.

The pink troll carefully brushed through Branch’s deep blue locks once more, before letting all of it stick back up. 

“There ya go! A million twigs later, it’s all nice and brushed out. Never say I’m not a miracle worker.” Poppy joked, nudging her friend.

“Hey, Thanks Poppy,” Branch said, as he ran his hand through his hair, “I won’t let it get **that** bad again, but, I do feel a _lot_ better.”

  
“You know what would make _me_ feel better? Poppy asked, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Branch winced, “What’s that?” He asked hesitantly.  
  
“ **CUPCAKE FACE MASKS!** ”  
  
“ _NOOO!_ ”  
__________________________________________

 “He said you could **_WHAT_ ** ?!” Brainy exclaimed, choking on his sarsaparilla leaf tea in the process.  
  
“No way,” Hefty said, as he slumped back in his beanbag chair.  
  
Smurfette had called an ‘emergency meeting sleepover’, brewed a steaming pot of tea over the fire, and convinced Greedy to hand over a few pastries to disperse among her friends that night. The famous foursome, Hefty, Smurfette, Clumsy, and Brainy, sat in a half circle together around the fireplace.  
  
“He said that I could make the trip to Smurfy Grove by myself!” Smurfette said happily, unfazed by Brainy’s shock.  
  
“Well, _gosh_ Smurfette, that's just great!” Clumsy said supportively, “But, arentcha a _little_ scared? I mean, it is the **_forbidden forest_ ** ... if I was goin’ in there myself, I know I would be.” He said, cowering at the thought.  
  
“I'm with Clumsy,” Brainy objected before Smurfette could speak, “It's _more_ than dangerous out there! How are you _willingly_ throwing yourself out there alone, when we _barely_ got there with **four** smurfs! Is there something you wanna talk about? Because you don’t have to do this.”  
  
Smurfette sighed, “ _Look_ , guys—“  
  
“—I _never_ thought I’d say this, but, I’m with Brain-man on this one,” Hefty interrupted, “It’s just too much Smurfette. There’s no _way_ I’d let you smurf out there all by yourself! Look, I don’t mind going so suddenly. I’ll pack my bag tonight and—“  
  
“ **NO** !” Smurfette said sternly, finally getting a word in edgewise. Everyone went (and stayed) completely silent. She finally had the floor.  
  
“Listen. I talked about it with Papa,” she began, “And even he had his doubts at first, which I don’t blame anyone for in this instance— I know it’s the forbidden forest. But... I need this. It’s the first time Papa has _ever_ sent me to do something completely on my own; do you guys even know how **_huge_ ** that is?” She said, looking to each of them. Everyone remained silent.  
  
“I appreciate the concern... you guys are my _best_ friends, and I love you all so much!” She smiled warmly, as did all three of her closest friends, “But I have to fight my **own** battles.” She made sure she met eyes with Hefty as she spoke.  
  
“I’ll have Bucky with me for most of the journey, so, that means I’ll reach the river in half a day at least,” Smurfette explained, “Which is a _STARK_ contrast to going on foot. The only thing I’ll be truly on my own for, obviously, is going down the river, since Bucky won’t go. I’ll just use the spare raft we hid awhile ago, go down the correct river path to Smurfy Grove, and then I’ll be in the clear, until I do the same thing to come back a few days later.”  
  
“Well,” Brainy said reluctantly, “I guess that doesn’t sound so bad — but, since it’s still a long journey... would you like to take Snappy bug?”  
  
Smurfette stopped drinking her tea abruptly, setting her cup down firmly on the saucer. She couldn’t believe it.  
  
“Brainy, _are you sure?_ I mean, I would love to, but not if you’re hesitant to the idea. I could be gone for a week or so... are you sure you don’t mind not having her around for that long?” She asked.  
  
“Absosmurfly. Snappy bug is a huge help in my experiments, but, if she can help you out there, that’s more influential than a million experiments — after all, there’s only **_one_ ** Smurfette.” He replied without missing a beat.  
  
“Isn’t that right Snappy?” Brainy said as he held a cupped hand up to his forehead, which snappy bug crawled onto from under his hat. She chattered joyfully in response, and flew over to Smurfette’s shoulder where she sat contently, suggesting she was all in.  
  
“Aww, Thank you, Brainy. How _unusually_ sweet of you.” Smurfette joked, as she took a sip of her tea. She offered a sip from the cup to Snappy Bug, who shook her head and chattered to say ‘no thank you’.  
  
“Eh, don’t get used to it.” He said smugly. Smurfette just playfully rolled her eyes in response.    
  
Hefty remained silent for an extra beat, his eyes occasionally darting between staring at the crackling flames in the fireplace, to examining the expressions on everyone else.  
  
“...You won’t leave before we wake up, _right?_ ” Hefty asked sweetly, “So we can at least see you off?”  
  
Smurfette, touched by his acceptance, scooted closer to Hefty and pulled him into a hug.  
  
“Of _course_ not, silly!” She said reassuringly, “The only time I would have left without doing that was because I had to, remember? I need all the well wishes I can get from my favorite smurfs. I wouldn’t even think of going anywhere without a million hugs from each of you.” Smurfette let go of him, and sweetly kissed his cheek. Hefty beamed, and playfully slid Smurfette’s hat over her eyes.  
  
“We should have a _big_ ol party for ya when you get back!” Clumsy happily suggested as he munched on a blueberry muffin, “I’ve never planned a party before, but ‘a sure can try!”  
  
“Ooh ooh! I want in too, Clumsy! With the two of us in charge, just imagine what a _stimulating_ event we could create together! With all kinds of activities and refreshments, it would be _the_ welcome home party!” Brainy said, smiling wide. “I can already see it. We’ll start as SOON as she leaves tomorrow!”  
  
“Whoa, whoah, back it up Smarty Smurf,” Hefty said, “If history repeats itself, she’ll come back from her grueling journey to see the entire village forced to wear blonde wigs before anybody can even **look** at her, much less have fun!” Hefty said, shooting a smug look at Brainy while Clumsy and Smurfette roared with laughter. Brainy rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms.  
  
Smurfette made her index finger and thumb form a circle, and put both hands in front of her eyes to act like glasses. “You may **ONLY** drink the Smurfberry punch if you’re wearing your novelty white heels, Grouchy Smurf!” Smurfette said, jokingly mocking Brainy. Hefty laughed so hard he almost fell over, and it was almost impossible for Clumsy to contain his giggling.  
  
“You know, I don’t **have** to loose my _only_ lab assistant for a week,” Brainy grimaced.  
  
“Oh, c’mon Brainy, you know I’m just teasing. Laugh a little bit!” Smurfette assured him, as she playfully flicked a crumb his way.  
  
There was a content moment of silence as the group watched the flames together, and ate their baked goods.  
  
“i guess it’s a little bittersweet,” Smurfette started to say, “I’m really gonna miss you guys... I’m so excited to spend a little time at Smurfy Grove, but, it won’t be the same. Even if it can be a little frustrating sometimes… home really is where the heart is,” She admitted somberly.

“Hey, we’ll still be here when you get back. You obviously need this—so don’t go and get all sad about it now!” Hefty said, “You’ve gotta keep your head in the game. If you can’t do that now, you really won't be able to when you have to make a split second decision in the forbidden forest!” He continued to encourage, “Just keep looking forward, and we’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines. It’s your turn to be up to bat, Smurfette; so hit that smurfball outta the park, and we’ll see you when you get to home base.” 

Smurfette couldn’t stop smiling; that was the most Hefty advice she’d ever been given, or that she could think of, for that matter. In a moment of solidarity, everyone crowded together to give her an overwhelming group hug.

It was everything — the _only_ thing— she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hefty’s response to Brainy when he talks about Party planning is a reference to the episode ‘Brainy’s Smarty Party’ from the Hanna Barbera cartoon.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning that followed, Smurfette awoke to the sound of her tiny purple alarm clock, and a chorus of snoring from Hefty alone; Brainy was softly mumbling in his sleep, while Clumsy laid still, being the only Smurf who couldn’t be heard for miles. She quickly shut off her alarm, and winced as she looked to see if it had woken anyone up— to her surprising relief, their snoring continued without fail.

Smurfette climbed up out of bed, and grabbed her kettle; she drowsily dropped a few mint tea leaves inside, and filled it with water. After she lit her fireplace, and hung her kettle over the flames, she scurried off towards her wardrobe. Even though she would really have to keep an eye on her tea, as to not wake her friends with it’s whistling, it was more than worth it; for Smurfette, it wasn’t truly a new day without a fresh cup of tea in the morning. Carefully, she cracked open her closet doors, and grabbed 4 clean dresses off the rack, with 2 pairs of shoes. She tossed 3 of the dresses onto the vanity chair for packing, and slipped behind her folding screen to change for the long journey ahead.

Once done, she hastily tiptoed over to the kettle, and took it off the flames to place it on a frilly pink potholder on her vanity. She sat down in her chair, and slowly poured the fresh brewed beverage into her teacup. After blowing on it, she lifted it up to her lips, but set it back down after not being able to take a full sip. ‘ _That certainly needs a minute,’_ She thought to herself. Smurfette never took her tea too hot, nor too cold; it had to be at that _perfect_ temperature, where you can take a decent sip without burning your tongue off.

Gazing into the mirror, Smurfette felt a whirlwind of pressure in her chest, and had butterflies in her stomach. She managed a tiny smile, and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

 _‘This almost smurfs too good to be true,’_ She thought to herself, _‘Am I dreaming? Or do Papa and the others… really believe in me this much? It’s not_ **_Hefty_ ** _and Smurfette this time, or_ **_Tracker_ ** _and Smurfette — it’s finally, after all this time, just—“_

**_Pseudo Smurf._ **

Gargamel’s voice boomed in her head; it knocked the air out of her lungs.

**_No matter how hard you try, you can’t escape your destiny._ **

She fought tooth and nail with the lump in her throat.

“ _Don't wake them up!_ ** _Don’t_** _wake them up!_ ** _DONT_** _wake them up!”_ She hastily whispered to herself, trying to keep from coming unglued. A soft, pitiful whimper escaped past her lips, and from there came the waterworks — she squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to get the tears to stop. The amount of control even just the mere sound of his voice had over her made Smurfette’s blood boil. She clenched her fist, and gritted her teeth. Even after facing, and **_defeating_** him, in her most sacred and intimate moments, he _lingered_ ; always eager to throw any sense of accomplishment she had straight into the _dirt_ she was made from.

Her teary blue eyes stared back at her almost mockingly in the mirror. _Would this journey truly mean anything to anysmurf? Was she just looking for things to make people proud of her, because she couldn’t be proud of herself?_

Smurfette took in a deep breath, and shook as she exhaled. She did this several times, trying to banish the thought of becoming overwhelmed. Taking her teacup in hand, she took a sip of her warm, minty beverage.

Another deep breath. _Suppress, and reset. Suppress, and reset._

Smurfette placed the backpack that she had crocheted with Tailor on the tabletop; made with sturdy purple yarn, it had gotten her through her first trek through the Forbidden Forest without a thread out of place. Neatly, she rolled up her dresses, and placed them inside the bag alongside her canteen, a map of the forbidden forest, her compass, and of course, the little sack that contained Papa’s protection spell with re-written instructions.

As Smurfette gently brushed through her knotted golden hair, the picture she, Hefty, Clumsy, and Brainy had taken together when they spent their first night in the forest caught her attention as she stared out into space. It sat propped against her mirror, alongside various other mementos. She picked it up, and a soft smile stretched across her face; even if she was intent on making the journey alone, it still made her sad to think that she wouldn’t have her friends to turn to, or their silly, yet almost comforting bickering to listen to in the background. Between Hefty and Brainy’s playful banter, with Clumsy’s occasional chiming in, the chemistry between them all was so natural; sometimes, when she was feeling a little withdrawn, Smurfette could just sit and watch them play off of each other, all while being so silently overwhelmed at exactly how much she adored them. She wiped away the few remaining tears that managed to get past her. Without missing a beat, she placed the photo into her bag for good luck.

With everything gathered together, Smurfette slipped her backpack on over her shoulders, and made her way towards the window to watch her last sunrise at home for a while. She loved watching the sun gradually greet the tops of the trees that guarded their sweet little village. It’s presence conducted the sweet song of the Smurfberry birds, so cheerful that a new day was set to begin, and gave life to her thriving flower garden, so eager to bask in it’s rays. When sunlight started to stream through her window and into the hut, she could hear the rustling of her friends slowly beginning to wake up.

Clumsy rubbed the sand out of his eyes, and it took him a moment to adjust before he noticed his friend gazing out the window. “Mornin’ Smurfette!” He greeted her mid-yawn. The sleepy Smurf stretched out his arms, and sat up with a knitted blanket still draped over him.

“Morning Clumsy! It’s such a beautiful day outside so far. If I wasn’t leaving, I would say we should go on a picnic!” she cheerfully replied, “Guess I’ll just have to make up for it when I get back, huh?”  Smurfette winked at Clumsy, who grinned happily, and nodded.

Brainy was next to wake up, and immediately started feeling around for his glasses; Clumsy kindly grabbed them from on top of the little table he’d placed them on the night before, and put them on Brainy himself. In last, for probably the first time, was Hefty, who comically shot up onto his feet after not even a minute of being fully awake out of pure adrenaline, and in surprise at how late he’d slept in. Usually he would go for a long morning jog before the sun fully came up and be the last Smurf to arrive at breakfast, but he figured, for today, that would just have to wait.

“Hefty, we’re going to breakfast. It’s not leg day,” Brainy scoffed, still waking up after a long night of being the _only_ one kept awake by everyone’s collective snoring.

“Are you _kidding_?” He turned around, “ ** _Every_** day is leg day with _Hefty_ Smurf!”

Hefty took both of Brainy’s hands in his, and abruptly pulled him up onto his feet; the bespectacled Smurf gasped in surprise. “Alright Smurfs, We’re gonna jog _all_ the way to Greedy’s hut from here. _You_ too Clumsy!” He commanded. Clumsy scrambled to his feet so fast that he managed to entangle the blanket he was using around his legs, and thus, fell over.

“Hefty Smurf, do you know what time it is? I absosmurfly refuse!” Brainy grimaced, and stomped with his right foot.

“You won’t when you find out what happens when you lose — which you _will,_ if you forfeit,” Hefty warned him with a smug look on his face.

Clumsy, still on the floor, looked up at Brainy, both visibly confused. “...W-What happens if you lose?” Brainy gulped.

“As long as you run, you won’t find out. Now **_GO_ ** _!”_

Hefty lightly slapped Brainy’s back, propelling him to bolt out the door; Clumsy once again rushed to get up, tripped, and was helped up by Smurfette (who was trying and failing to hold in cackling at his persistence) before following him out. As soon as they were gone, she burst into laughter.

“What? You think leg day doesn’t apply to you, _Miss_ _Smurfette?_ Get goin!” Hefty took her hand to lead her outside, and they jogged together. “ _You_ need all the workouts you can get! You never know what you’ll have to run from, or dodge, or — whatever it is!” He coached.

“I swear you’ve said that at _least_ once every _ten minutes_ since we talked about this,” She said in between breaths as they ran, “I got through most of the forest by myself before, remember? And that was when I didn’t know anything but my own name! I mean, that’s not the _forbidden_ forest, but— I _know_ what I’m doing, Hefty— trust me,” Smurfette defended herself.

“But **_who_** _brought_ you to village when you couldn’t get through the rest, huh?” Hefty looked to her.

There was a beat of silence. Smurfette furrowed her brows, and shot him a glare.

“The same smurf who’s about to come in last.”

Seeing he was distracted, Smurfette let go of Hefty’s hand, and he didn’t even have a second to stop before he ran straight into Farmer and his wagon of fresh fruits and veggies.

“Hefty Smurf! Ya’d better have a _Smurfin_ ’ good reason for runnin’ straight into my melons!” Farmer scolded him as Smurfette ran further away. She blew him a raspberry from across the village. Hefty sheepishly removed the watermelon that his foot was lodged in, and placed it _back_ into Farmer’s wagon.

“I’m really sorry Farmer, but I’ve gotta explain later!” Hefty said before he took off once again, “I promise I’ll make up for it after my run!”

Farmer simply shook his head defeatedly, and continued on his way.

By the time Hefty reached Greedy’s hut, his jogging had slowed to fast walking, and all three smurfs were outside waiting on him.

“So Hefty, being as _I_ , _Brainy_ Smurf, am the one who came in 1st place, _I_ believe I’m entitled to know _exactly_ what happens to the smurf who—“

Hefty put his index finger over Brainy’s lips to quiet him, and looked over at Smurfette, who had her arms crossed, a frown on her face, and was looking anywhere that didn’t involve making eye contact with him.

“Let’s get you some breakfast, huh?” He offered, extending his hand, “You can’t smurf the journey on an empty stomach.”

Smurfette looked down at his hand for a moment, and nodded. She playfully punched his arm before taking his hand in hers as they all walked into Greedy’s.

Greedy Smurf had decided to make her _favorite_ breakfast treat, blueberry pancakes and vanilla smurfcream, and packed her a little sack of Smurfberry rations for the trip in case of emergency. In order to get to Smurfy Grove by nightfall, Smurfette didn’t have much time to spare, so everyone was especially chatty, trying to make the most of their time with her, except Papa Smurf, who, despite all appearances, still seemed like a ‘dialed down’ version of himself. He simply watched all of the commotion from afar at the table, without saying a word. With everyone so focused on Smurfette, it was Hefty and Brainy who noticed and exchanged looks of acknowledgement, but chose not to say anything in front of the others.

After all the dishes had been cleared, the group of friends, and Papa Smurf, walked to the edge of the village together.

Smurfette whistled for Bucky the GlowBunny, who came bounding over to her, happy as could be.

“Hey bud!” She cooed sweetly as she pet the top of his head, “Are you ready to go?”

Bucky happily whinnied in response, and nuzzled his cheek against Smurfette. She fed her sweet Bunny companion a few Smurfberries, and turned back to her friends.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, guys...” Smurfette said solemnly, as she stepped forward to pull all of them into a huge hug.

Brainy was the first to break away. “Remember, always pay attention to your surroundings!” he reminded her, “And, if you see anything new and exciting, keep a log of it for me, won’t you?”

He opened his hand to reveal Snappy Bug curled up in his palm, who flew over to Smurfette, and nestled herself under her Smurf hat. “If I do, you’ll be the _first_ to hear about it all, one way or another,” Smurfette promised, enthralled to be so heavily trusted by _Brainy_ of all Smurfs. He was so particular, anxious, and careful with all of the things he loved—such a seemingly small achievement made her heart do somersaults. “I’ll take good care of her. We’re gonna have so much fun! Isn’t that right?” She cheered, peering up at the loyal little bug. Snappy, peeking out from under the hat, happily babbled and flapped her wings in excitement.

“Hey, you’re gonna do _great_. Trust your gut — that’s all you need,” Hefty added, “But, I guess I would know you’ve got that covered, huh?” He smiled. Smurfette gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m thinking you just might,” She teased.

“I’m so gosh darn proud of ya’, Smurfette… but I’m sure gonna miss ya’ a whole lot...” Clumsy’s bottom lip curled, and Smurfette drew him into a hug.

“You guys act like I’m never coming back!” Smurfette giggled, and held Clumsy’s face in her hands, “It’s only for a week. I’ll be home before you know it! And then we can go on that picnic I promised, right?” She gave Clumsy a kiss on the forehead. His dopey grin stretched from ear to ear. “Course! Ya’ think we could bring Baby, Brainy, and Hefty, too?” He asked, delighted at the idea.

“We can bring _anyone_ we want,” She told him, “When I get _back._ Think you can wait til then?”

“Absosmurfly.” He nodded.

“Keep an eye on Papa for me, too, won’t you guys?” she whispered to them, “I’m a little worried about him…”

“You’ve got it.” Hefty whispered back; Brainy and Clumsy nodded alongside him. Smurfette made a heart shape with her hands towards her friends, and, one at a time, they all did the same back at her.

She turned to Papa Smurf, who put his hand on her shoulder.

“So, as soon as you get to Smurfy Grove, what are you going to do?” He quizzed.

Smurfette smiled, and shook her head. She knows he’s just trying to have some peace of mind, and humors him. “I give the potion to Willow, and then I’ll have a dragonfly deliver a note to the village to let you know I’m there.” She reassured him.

“Do you have enough clean clothes? Emergency food and water? Did you get enough to eat? Enough sleep? Are you _sure_ there isn’t anything else I can get for you?” He fussed over her.

“Not a thing, Papa; I’ve got it all together!” Smurfette reassured him.

“And if you get lost—?”

“I _won’t_ , Papa. Smurfs honor!” She stressed, “I have a map with me, _and_ my compass, even if I pretty much know the way on my own by now. I promise I’ll smurf straight there. And, if I lose _that_ map and desperately need another one, Snappy Bug has it saved! No worries, okay? I’ll be back before you know it!”

Papa smiled tenderly.

“I didn’t have any to begin with,” he admitted.

Smurfette gave him a kiss on his cheek, and hugged him so tightly it caught him by surprise.

“I love you, Papa.” She spoke softly. The eldest smurf smiled, and patted her back. He was touched. There wasn’t time for him to get out all the words he truly wanted to say.

Papa broke away, and placed his hands on his hips. “Well, what are you still doing here then!” He teased, “Go on my little smurf, before you’ve lost too much daylight. Give SmurfWillow my regards when you get there!”

“Oh, I _sure_ will,” Smurfette teased.

It took him a moment to process it. “Hey! What on earth does _that_ mean?” He laughed.

Smurfette dashed over to Bucky, hopped on his back, and after she had said her final goodbyes, they took off. She waved back at them as Bucky bounded against the grass, and the others continued to wave at her, following her down the path until she had gone too far beyond the village. By the time she went through the log that lead into and out of Smurf Village, Papa was the only one still waving, and repeatedly telling her ‘goodbye’.

For quite awhile, Papa stood still, staring out into the forest.

Hefty stepped forward, and placed a caring hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Papa?” He asked.

Papa turned to look at him.

“Just proud, my little smurf,” He looked back out into the forest. Not even the sound of Bucky prancing against the grass could be heard anymore.

“Just proud.”

* * *

 

Smurfette and Bucky whisked through the forbidden forest together like it was nothing — she was constantly surprised at what a stark contrast it was to making the trip on foot. His speed and size gave him an advantage when it came to avoiding the dangers ahead, and, if they ever really needed to, they could always take refuge in any nearby rabbit hole to escape from something — he knew where _all_ the best little hiding places were. They galloped far beyond the smurf-eating flowers, ran alongside the colorful flocks of Dragonflies that greeted them, and continued onwards all morning into the afternoon, only stopping once for a snack, before they finally reached the dangerously magnificent river that lead to Smurfy Grove. The river and it’s many paths flowed into a ‘Y’ shaped intersection, with one route in the middle that would just take you straight down the waterfall. It was like a fork with three prongs; to get to the Grove, you would take the route on the right, which lead into a small lake very close to the village.

As they approached the raging waters, Bucky frantically stopped in his tracks, and shook all over. It took Smurfette several minutes of petting his soft, illuminating coat and letting him know that he was safe before he finally calmed down. She ‘booped’ his nose, and gave him a hug around the neck as a thank you.

“Now, where did they hide those spare rafts?” She thought out loud as she began to scout around the area. It only took her about a minute to notice the pile of intricately-stacked fluorescent leaves that ( a little too obviously) hid it from plain sight. Now that they had taken multiple trips out to the Grove, Handy had built and hidden several rafts to get them to and from the other village.

Smurfette dragged the little raft out to where they had launched it last time, and took a moment to look at the river before her — she could tell that _something_ was quite off with the current today. It looked to be even faster, and more treacherous, than usual.

Even when her gut was screaming ‘no’, she knew she _had_ to go — she couldn’t just get this far, get scared of some _water,_ and call it a journey — _right?_

 _Prove. Your. Worth._ She thought to herself, _When this is all over, it’ll be just like a bad dream; remember it for a few seconds, then forget it just as fast. ._

Bucky nuzzled against her, and laid his head at her feet, desperately trying to convince her not to go as much as he could without being able to speak. Smurfette scratched behind his ears, and crouched down to his level.

“Shhh,” She whispered sweetly, “It's all okay, Bucky. I’ll see you again soon! There’s no need to be scared; We’ve done this before, remember?”

Bucky huffed and rolled his eyes, as if to tell her ‘Yeah, because it went _so_ great last time’.

Unconvinced, but knowing that he wouldn’t be able to deter her anyways, the nervous Glowbunny reluctantly nuzzled his favorite Smurf one last time, and backed away from the river to let her go; she gave him one last bear hug, and scratched his fuzzy chin — his _second_ favorite spot—before turning to face the next part of her journey.

Smurfette took a deep breath; she knew he was right to worry — after their brush with disaster the last time she was on a raft in these waters, there was no way to deny her own anxiety over it. Just observing the way the choppy surf seemed to mock her with its strength made her hands clammy, and had her gut doing backflips as it pleaded with her to have second thoughts.

And then she thought about _everyone_.

The Smurfs at the Grove who desperately needed her help, and loved her so much. Papa, who had believed in her enough, and stepped away from his own lingering trauma long enough, to allow her to do this for herself. Her friends, who had prepared her for this more than anything else — and _every_ person who had stomped on her ability to find _normalcy._ This was her chance—her most _profound_ chance— to achieve what so many ‘natural’ Smurfs before her had. The pride of completing _her_ first journey. No magic to assist her, no friends to play off of; just her, her mind, and the unpredictable nature around her.

This was so much bigger than making a statement to the others; this was something that was tangibly _hers._ Something that she could look back on, and without _any_ interference, she could say, ‘ _I_ did that’. There was no room for that little voice to creep into her thoughts and diminish her accomplishments if there was no one to throw those achievements onto in the first place.

Shoving her doubt, fear, and sense of dread back down, Smurfette pushed the raft onto the river, and quickly hopped on. She excitedly waved back to Bucky, who followed her on the land beside the water until she was out of sight.

With the new rafts that Handy had built, there was a lever in the middle that one could use to steer the vessel; but without another smurf to spin the gear in the back, she was at the mercy of the river’s speed.

Though she had to keep all eyes on what was in front of her, every time she was on the river, she couldn’t help but marvel at all of it’s surroundings. From intricate-looking fish swimming along in the shimmering water beneath and beside her, to the fluorescent plants that grew in all kinds of eye-popping colors nearby, there was always _something_ to look at — and on any other day, perhaps she could have spent her ride looking longingly at the surroundings of the forest she so wished to explore.

Today, however, was not that day.

“Okay Smurfette—whoah!” She began talking to herself, but was interrupted by a small boulder she had to dodge. “You’re almost there; the intersection is straight ahead. Let’s just shift a _little_ to the right—“

Gripping the steering lever, she tried to move; to her horror, the lever wouldn’t budge.

She was in caught in the middle of a raging river, unable to steer the one thing that would keep her from going over the waterfall.

_Thanks, Handy Smurf._

As she approached the several pathways, she noticed an object that became more in focus the closer she got.

A giant river rock, smack dab in the middle of her way.

“ _No — oh_ **_smurfness_ ** _no,”_ she gasped. Frantically, she looked all around, trying to decide what her next move should be. She tried to troubleshoot the steer, moving it in several different ways, jiggling it to try and trigger it to guide her where she needed to be — all to no avail. Time was running out, and at this point, she _knew_ that this raft was going to collide with that boulder no matter what she did.

All she could do was jump.

“Hang on, Snappy!”

In a moment of pure adrenaline, she dove off of the back of her raft, and sunk down into the rushing water, where she was sucked into the current on the left side of the river’s intersection, no matter how hard she tried to swim against it. The river’s waves crashed over her, and sent her tumbling through the water over and over in a cycle; she had precious _seconds_ to take in air and keep Snappy Bug alive when it would release her for a brief moment, then pull her back under. As the current brought her back up smacked her around, she was able to catch a glimpse of her raft crashing into the river rock with such speed that it split in two.

After one final blow from the rapids that knocked her backwards into next week, everything went **_black._ **

When the current slammed the Smurf into another river rock so hard that she fell unconscious, Snappy Bug sprang into action. She could just barely keep Smurfette’s head above water by latching onto a section of her long hair, and flying upwards as much as she could as the river swept them further, and further, off the beaten path. 

* * *

 

“PASS IT HERE BIGGIE!” Poppy shouted as she ran on the sidelines. Biggie nodded, and released the little yellow, fuzzy creature with wings into the air, directing him to fly to Poppy, as he was promptly tackled by Smidge. Branch and Guy Diamond repeatedly tried to jump up and grab it, but it was all to no avail — the winged critter flew directly into Poppy’s arms, and helped her team score the winning touchdown.

All afternoon, the Snack Pack had been playing Critterball at the edge of the village; a game identical to football, but their ‘ball’ was a fuzzy, winged worm very similar to Mr. Dinkles, who’s indecisive nature made the game one of both skill _and_ pure chance. Today, the scale was tipped in favor of Poppy’s team.

“ _Great_ game my friends! If it was my choice, you _all_ would be winners in my book,” Creek praised so sweetly that it almost made Branch gag, “But unfortunately I did _not_ make the rules of Critterball, so congratulations to team Poppy!” He finished by lightly clapping. In turn, everyone formed a line to shake each other’s hands.

“It _was_ a good game,” Branch started to say, as he firmly shook Poppy’s hand “But, I _doubt_ that you’d be able to do it again,” he playfully sneered, and moved on to shake Biggie’s hand down the line, still keeping eye contact with her.

“Oh, is that a challenge Mister Sore-Loser-Pants?” Poppy mocked, egging him on.

Branch looked at his teammates, and held out his hand to Poppy once again.

“Rematch?” He grinned.

The princess looked to _her_ teammates, who nodded in return. She stepped forward, and shook his hand firmly.

“Rematch.” She nodded.

Suddenly, the unpredictable little flying worm wiggled out of Poppy’s grip, and took off into the woods behind them.

“Hey, you! Wait! Come back here! We’ve still got a rematch to play, you can’t leave just yet!” She called out to the critter as it flew further away from them.

Impulsively, she decided to take off into the brush to chase it.

“Poppy, wait!” Branch shouted far too late, “We don’t _have_ to do a rematch, we’ll play something else! Just don’t go too deep in there… hey, can you even hear me?!” He called out, mildly frustrated.

In fact, she actually couldn’t. Poppy had quickly wandered so deep into the woods following this silly little bug, that she could see Sunlight from the other side through the trees at this point. When they were almost to the end, she picked up her speed, and reached out her arms as far as she could. Just as they broke through the final layer of brush and thin trees, Poppy had finally grabbed the fuzzy critter, and held it tightly in her arms.

“Gotcha! Just one more game of Critterball, okay? I promise—“

However, what she walked into made her release it once again in shock, and in that moment, her whole body froze.

“BRANCH!” Poppy yelled through the brush, “COME QUICK!”

Laying face down in the sand was a creature that _looked_ a _bit_ like another troll, but was so clearly **_not_ ** another Troll, that it made the hair on her arms stand up. She wasn’t _scared_ of what she saw — just so intrigued that she could barely even speak. Whoever she was, Poppy knew she needed help, and fast.

Snapping out of her initial shock, she ran to the blue creature’s side, where she was greeted by a frantically babbling ladybug trying to get her to help. The stressed little creature flew around and in front of her face, ‘talking’ wildly. It took Poppy several moments just to calm it down.

“Geez buddy, it’s okay! I’m here to help, alright? You don’t have to worry. Just calm down, and I’ll see what I can do. I _promise_ I’ll help as much as I can, if not _way_ more than that,” She cooed to the little bug. After a beat of consideration, the Ladybug nestled herself into the Queen’s hair, peeking out from just above her flower crown.

Poppy smiled in approval.

First thing, she slipped the backpack this castaway wore off of her, and flipped the girl onto her back. Hesitantly, she reached out to check for a pulse.

_She was alive._

“Thank goodness,” Poppy said with a sigh, looking up at the concerned Ladybug, “I don’t know who you are either, Miss Ladybug, but it looks like your friend here is gonna be okay! At least...I really hope so.”

Poppy propped the girl’s head up with her right hand, and brushed all of her wet blonde hair out of her face. The only thing that _really_ set her apart from being a Troll was how her long, flowing hair grew downwards, her eyes, and her nose — that _cute_ little _button_ nose.

Poppy blinked, shook her head and passed that off as just another impulsive thought. It was _true_ , though.

Still, this girl was obviously freezing, and desperately needed some attention and care, stat. With no other help in sight, Poppy assumed that her crew hadn’t heard her cries, and knew she had to take matters into her own hands.

Poppy slipped the soaked backpack onto her own shoulders, scooped up her new unconscious patient into her arms, and began to retrace her steps through the woods. This had felt like _so_ much shorter of a distance when she wasn’t carrying a knocked out troll-like creature bridal-style through a thicket.

Halfway there, she ran into the friends who came in after her — each one greeting her with their mouths hanging open.

“Poppy, _what_ is **_that_ **?!” Branch exclaimed in confusion, already going into defensive mode.

“It _looks_ like a troll, but, it soooo… _doesn’t_ ,” Guy Diamond ‘sang’, blatantly puzzled.

“Guys, I have no idea — all I know is that I found her on the beach down there, I’m pretty sure she needs help, and there’s no _way_ I’m leaving her there! I _have_ to get her to my Pod — ASAP!” She stressed to them, as she pushed past everyone. Concerned, but not in any place to deny what needed to be done, the rest of the snack pack followed suit.

* * *

 

Back at the pod, everyone was asked to wait outside, while Branch ran to get Dr. Plum Plimsy. In the meantime, Poppy gave up her bed to the injured stranger, tucking her in and propping her head up with several pillows. She took everything out of the drenched backpack so they could be dried; she hung her little white dresses and the backpack itself up in her own closet, and set the rest of her things to dry on the dresser. Using a few objects of her own that acted like paperweights, (a hairbrush, a small potted flower, a pair of scissors, and a party hat) she spread out the map so it, too, could air dry as much as possible.

Not even a minute later, Branch and Dr. Plum quickly burst through the door, squeezing past the rest of the snack pack who were trying to get a better look at their injured guest.

“Plum! Thank you _soo_ much for getting here so fast, you are just the best!” Poppy praised, “But, I think you can see why we were in such a rush…”

The doctor craned her neck to peek at the scene behind Poppy, and her eyes widened. “Indeed,” Plum replied with a hint of shock in her voice, “Branch was telling me you found her on the outskirts of the village?” She asked, as she stepped forward to further examine the castaway. Plum slid the covers off of the unconscious girl, and noticed various scrapes and bruises that decorated her arms and legs.

Poppy winced. She was too dumbfound to have noticed the rest of her minor (but many) wounds back at the beach.

“Yeah...Just barely outside it. I was chasing a flying fuzzworm through the woods, and ended up on the other side; she was lying face down in the sand…” She recounted to Plum, who was checking her patient’s vitals. Other than the fact that she was scraped up, passed out, and had a _bit_ of a cut on the back of her head, it didn’t seem to be too serious of a situation.

“I see. Well, with that information, it seems to be obvious to me that she was definitely in some kind of boating accident. I know that the channel that leads into the lake is supposed to be from a network of rapids — it looks like she was dragged _very_ harshly by the current.” Plum informed, finishing her examination, “Luckily, the most _serious_ injury that she has is just the cut on the back of her head — I’m honestly blown away by the fact that no one had to perform CPR. Her breathing is completely normal. If she was unconscious and floating through rushing waves, I _would_ have expected her to be basically waterlogged.” Plum marveled. She bandaged her minor head wound by wrapping 2 layers of gauze around it.

“So, do you think she’ll wake up soon?” Poppy asked hopefully.

“I’m positive that it won’t be long before she recovers; her injuries aren’t too excessive. If she isn’t awake by late tomorrow morning, come get me straight away, but I have a feeling she’ll be awake by tonight at the latest. In any case, unless something goes wrong before then, I’ll come and check on her tomorrow afternoon,” Plum said, as she packed her materials and tools back into her bag, “Good on you for bringing her back here, your highness; not that we live in a particularly dangerous area, but, I would still hate to think about what could have happened if she remained by herself in even a vulnerable state in somewhere she’s not familiar with. Your heart is always in the right place.”

Poppy grinned, and showed Dr. Plum to the door. “Thanks so much for everything, Plum. See you tomorrow!”

As soon as the doctor left, the rest of the snack pack ran through the door like an oncoming train past Poppy.

“Oh my _gahd_ … what _is_ it?” Smidge asked, looking their guest up and down.

“I don’t know, but as soon as she wakes up, we _have_ to have her model for us!” Satin cheered, making everyone look confused, “I’m just imagining it now; with her glowing skin, and that _long_ **_golden_ ** hair, it’s like half of our newest line was _made_ for her! She would look _too_ chic.” She explained, leaving her friends bewildered. Chenille gasped, and gripped her sister’s shoulders, “Do you know what this would _mean_ Satin?! We’d get to see _our_ clothes on creatures _other_ than Trolls! Fashion for _any_ species! We’ve only ever done that for Bridget! What if we got _HER_ out on the catwalk?! Just imagine!”

“Ladies,” Creek said, “Let’s conserve our energy for a bit, shall we? She hasn’t even woken up yet. We’ve no idea if we can even _trust_ her, let alone have her wear our clothes.”

Suki, Guy, and Biggie were all studying the few items she had that had been left on the table to dry.

“You know, she may not want to stay for very long,” Biggie suggested.

“What makes you say that?” Guy asked.

“Well, she’s got a map here, and a bunch of other travel stuff. It’s like when I’m out searching for sounds to add to my beats when I’m stumped,” Dj Suki said, “When I’m doing that, it’s pretty obvious, and I’m gonna wanna stay focused on it for however long I need. Same goes with Blues here, you know?”

“Well, however long she’s staying, the important thing we have to remember is that we _don’t_ know her — don’t go letting your guard down. I _know_ I won’t be. That Ladybug knows _too_ much for me to trust it.” Branch warned, making the ‘I’m watching you’ hand signal at the Ladybug that now sat right next to their sleeping guest. She rolled her eyes, and flew over to the end of the bed. Everyone jumped.

“Guys, it’s a _Ladybug_ ,” Poppy said, shaking her head, “Even if she seems a little more… _self aware_ than most little critters, at the end of the day, that’s all she is! There’s nothing to worry about—“

Right as she was about to finish speaking, The babbling Ladybug fluttered her wings, and began to playback a recording of Brainy Smurf saying, “ _Snappy Bug!”_

Poppy jumped into Branch’s arms in surprise, who immediately shot her an unamused glare. She nervously smiled, and he set her back down.

“Oh, I _know_ little miss Ladybug did not just **_TALK_ **!” Cooper said, feeling like he should run as far away as he could.

“I don’t think that was _her_ ,” Branch suggested, “It… kind of sounded like someone else? The bug itself only speaks a bunch of gibberish.”

Poppy crept towards the Ladybug, and sat on her knees to be more face to face with her.

“Snappy Bug… is that your _name_?” She asked the critter.

Snappy happily babbled in response, and nodded. _._

“Aww! What a cute name! Well, hello there, Snappy! I’m Poppy!” She introduced herself with a huge smile that scrunched up her face, “Can you tell us what you guys are doing here? Or, maybe even what happened?”

Snappy thought for a moment, before fluttering her wings once again.

_“I know it’s the forbidden forest. But... I need this. It’s the first time Papa has ever sent me to do something completely on my own,”_

She paused before she played another. Everyone listened intently.

_“Give the potion to Willow,”_

The Trolls were all looking at each other trying to make sense of the recordings, but not much could be said for them. Other than that it was obvious that this creature was on a journey of _some_ kind to give _something_ to _someone_ , they didn’t have everything to fill in the blanks.

Poppy looked up at the girl in her bed, still enamoured by the fact that she was even here; the rescued traveler remained still.

“Can I ask what _her_ name is?” Poppy requested, “...Just out of curiosity.”

 _“Smurfette,”_ Snappy played back a snippet of her talking to herself on the river.

“Wow. I wonder what you _can’t_ do little guy!” she laughed, “You have been _such_ a huge help!!” The Queen said excitedly, “I guess we’ll just get the rest of the story when _Smurfette_ wakes up. In the meantime, I think I’ve got it from here, you guys,” Poppy announced as she rose up, “She’ll probably be waking up in a few hours, and I’m _pretty_ sure having a whole wall of Trolls staring her down as she opens her eyes for the first time would be enough to put her right back into a coma, so I’ll come get you guys once everything is more relaxed when she’s up, alright?”

Everyone nodded, followed by various mumbles of agreement.

“No problem, Poppy! We’ll just go entertain ourselves until then. Isn’t that right, Mr Dinkles?” Biggie cooed to his pet worm. He simply ‘mewed’ back.

Everyone left the pod wishing her good luck, except for Branch — he wasn’t about to leave her alone with some strange blue being and her weirdly, but impressively advanced ladybug. The skeptical troll propped himself up against the wall next to the bed.

Poppy, however, perched herself _right_ next to Smurfette and just sat there, silently admiring her. She was being so quiet that it _almost_ made Branch uneasy — and it probably would have, had he not seen this same look in her eyes before.

“I’m getting some _MAJOR_ deja vu vibes,” Poppy blurted out, “I mean, I guess deja vu is a little different than what I’m feeling— but, can you believe this? It’s _fate_ , Branch!” She said excitedly, looking up at him.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, sounding more disapproving than genuinely puzzled.

“Remember what we talked about last night? It came _right_ to us!” Poppy exclaimed with delight, “Not that this is the way I would want or had expected it too, but, this _has_ to be a sign, right?! It’s crazy!”

“I _remember_ ,” Branch replied, “I’m just not about inserting my _own_ expectations on someone who needs our _help._ ” He sternly suggested. Poppy pouted, and held out her hand for Snappy to crawl into.

Branch sighed. “I get that you’re excited, Poppy — lets just be open minded about it, okay? We don’t wanna overwhelm her,” he explained, taking the opportunity to sit next to her on her bed, “You are the most friendly, fun, and over the top person I’ve ever met — which is why she’ll love you _after_ she’s not scared out of her mind, with a million and one questions floating around in her head.”

Poppy perked up, and shot him a goofy grin. She looked down longingly at her rescue. “I don’t know how we get ourselves into these things — but this time, I have a _really_ good feeling about it.”

Branch rolled his eyes.

“Now, _how_ many times have I heard that before, again?”


End file.
